Chapter V.—The resurrection of the flesh is not impossible.

But again, of those who maintain that the flesh has no resurrection, some assert that it is impossible; others that, considering how vile and despicable the flesh is, it is not fit that God should raise it; and others, that it did not at the first receive the promise. First, then, in respect of those who say that it is impossible for God to raise it, it seems to me that I should show that they are ignorant, professing as they do in word that they are believers, yet by their works proving themselves to be unbelieving, even more unbelieving than the unbelievers. For, seeing that all the heathen believe in their idols, and are persuaded that to them all things are possible (as even their poet Homer says,6    Odyssey, ii. 304. “The gods can do all things, and that easily;” and he added the word “easily” that he might bring out the greatness of the power of the gods), many do seem to be more unbelieving than they. For if the heathen believe in their gods, which are idols (“which have ears, and they hear not; they have eyes, and they see not”7    Ps. cxv. 5. ), that they can do all things, though they be but devils, as saith the Scripture, “The gods of the nations are devils,”8    Ps. xcvi. 5. much more ought we, who hold the right, excellent, and true faith, to believe in our God, since also we have proofs [of His power], first in the creation of the first man, for he was made from the earth by God; and this is sufficient evidence of God’s power; and then they who observe things can see how men are generated one by another, and can marvel in a still greater degree that from a little drop of moisture so grand a living creature is formed. And certainly if this were only recorded in a promise, and not seen accomplished, this too would be much more incredible than the other; but it is rendered more credible by accomplishment.9    i.e., by actually happening under our observation. But even in the case of the resurrection the Saviour has shown us accomplishments, of which we will in a little speak. But now we are demonstrating that the resurrection of the flesh is possible, asking pardon of the children of the Church if we adduce arguments which seem to be secular10    ἔξωθεν, “without” or “outside,” to which reference is made in the next clause, which may be translated, “because nothing is outside God,” or, “because to God nothing is ‘without.’ ” and physical:11    κοσμικῶν, arguments drawn from the laws by which the world is governed. first, because to God nothing is secular, not even the world itself, for it is His workmanship; and secondly, because we are conducting our argument so as to meet unbelievers. For if we argued with believers, it were enough to say that we believe; but now we must proceed by demonstrations. The foregoing proofs are indeed quite sufficient to evince the possibility of the resurrection of the flesh; but since these men are exceedingly unbelieving, we will further adduce a more convincing argument still, —an argument drawn not from faith, for they are not within its scope, but from their own mother unbelief,—I mean, of course, from physical reasons. For if by such arguments we prove to them that the resurrection of the flesh is possible, they are certainly worthy of great contempt if they can be persuaded neither by the deliverances of faith nor by the arguments of the world.

Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῶν λεγόντων μὴ ἀνίστασθαι τὴν σάρκα οἱ μὲν ὡς ἀδύνατον ἀναστῆναι λέγουσιν, οἱ δὲ ὡς μὴ προσῆκον τῷ θεῷ τὸ ἀνιστάνειν αὐτὴν διὰ τὸ εὐτελὲς καὶ εὐκαταφρόνητον αὐτῆς, οἱ δὲ ὅτι τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐδὲ ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχειν. Πρῶτον οὖν δοκεῖ μέν μοι πρὸς τοὺς ἀδύνατον εἶναι λέγοντας τῷ θεῷ τὸ ταύτην ἀναστῆσαι διεξελθεῖν, ὅτι ἀγνοοῦσιν αὐτοὶ τῷ λόγῳ λέγοντες ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι πιστούς, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἀποδεικνύντες ἀπίστους ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τῶν ἀπίστων ἀπιστοτέρους. Τῶν γὰρ ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων ἐπὶ τὰ εἴδωλα πεπιστευκότων καὶ πεπεισμένων ὅτι πάντα δυνατὰ τούτοις ἐστίν, ὡς καὶ Ὅμηρος, ὁ ποιητὴς αὐτῶν, φησίν: Θεοὶ δέ τε πάντα δύνανται Καὶ ῥεῖα_ (ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ῥεῖα προσέθηκεν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν εὐχερῶς, ἵνα τὴν μεγαλειότητα τῆς τῶν θεῶν δυνάμεως ἐμφάνῃ), πολὺ οὖν τούτων ἀπιστότεροι φαίνονται. Εἰ γὰρ τοῖς εἰδώλοις τὰ ἔθνη, τοῖς θεοῖς αὐτῶν, οἳ ὦτα ἔχουσι καὶ οὐκ ἀκούουσιν, ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχουσι καὶ οὐκ ὄψονται, τὸ πάντα δύνασθαι πεπιστεύκασι, δαιμονίοις οὖσι, καθὼς ἡ γραφὴ λέγει, ὅτι Οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμόνια, πολὺ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς, οἱ τὴν ἐξαίρετον καὶ ἀληθῆ πίστιν ἔχοντες, ὀφείλομεν τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν πιστεύειν, ἔχοντες τεκμήρια: καὶ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν τοῦ πρωτοπλάστου γένεσιν, ὅτι ἐκ γῆς ὑπὸ θεοῦ γέγονεν: ἱκανὸν γὰρ τοῦτο δεῖγμα τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐξ ἀλλήλων γένεσιν κατανοοῦσιν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, καὶ θαυμάσαι μειζόνως, ὅτι ἐξ ἐλαχίστης ῥανίδος ὑγροῦ τηλικοῦτον πλάσσεται ζῶον. Καίτοι γε εἰ ἐν ἐπαγγελίᾳ καὶ τοῦτο ἦν καὶ μὴ ἐφαίνετο γινόμενον, πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων ἦν ἀπιστότερον: ἀλλὰ γὰρ πιστότερον αὐτὸ ποιεῖ τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα. Ἀλλὰ μὴν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡμῖν ἔδειξεν ὁ σωτὴρ ἀποτελέσματα, ἃ μετ' ὀλίγον ἐροῦμεν. Νῦν δὲ τὸ δυνατὴν εἶναι τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν ἐπιδεικνύομεν, συγγνώμην αἰτούμενοι παρὰ τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας τέκνων, εἰ καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν εἶναι δοκούντων καὶ κοσμικῶν λόγων ἁπτόμεθα: πρῶτον μὲν ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν ἔξωθεν τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ κόσμος: ποίημα γάρ ἐστιν αὐτοῦ: δεύτερον ὅτι πρὸς ἀπίστους τούτους ποιούμεθα τοὺς λόγους. Εἰ γὰρ πρὸς πιστούς, αὐταρκὲς ἦν ἀποκρίνεσθαι τὸ ὅτι πεπιστεύκαμεν: νῦν δὲ διὰ ἀποδείξεων χωρεῖν ἀναγκαῖον. Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ τὰ προειρημένα τεκμήρια πρὸς τὸ δυνατὴν εἶναι δεικνύειν τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν: ἀλλ', ἐπεὶ λίαν εἰσὶν ἄπιστοι, καὶ ἀναγκαστικώτερον ἐπάξομεν τὸν λόγον, οὐκ ἐκ τῆς πίστεως, ὅτι μὴ τυγχάνουσιν ὄντες αὐτῆς, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ἀπιστίας, τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῶν, λέγω δὴ τῶν κοσμικῶν λόγων. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκ τούτων ἐπιδεικνύομεν αὐτοῖς δυνατὴν εἶναι τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν, πολλῆς δήπουθεν αἰσχύνης εἰσὶν ἄξιοι, εἰ μήτε τοῖς τῆς πίστεως μήτε τοῖς τοῦ κόσμου ἀκολουθεῖν δύνανται.